THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR to Play Flow Studios Beginning in November

The end of the year will see a classic of the world stage presented in Sydney with a bold Australian voice. 'The Government Inspector' by Nikolai Gogol was first performed in Russia in 1836, and hasn't lost any of its relevance.

The play is set in a small provincial town where the local bureaucrats are all corrupt and incompetent. They learn that a government inspector from the capital is coming to investigate them for possible corruption, and things are thrown into chaos as they try to cover-up and bribe their way out of being punished.

The script has been adapted by Alex Kendall Robson, who is also the director.

"When I wrote this play a couple of years ago, everyone was talking about ICAC and sports rorts and pork barrelling. COVID and other things delayed me being able to produce the show, and I was worried it had lost some of its potency: but the week I announced I was finally mounting it, the federal anti-corruption body was initiated and the consultancy scandal blew up. It is perennially relevant."

Whilst the play is still set in nineteenth-century Russia, Robson has given it a distinct contemporary Australian flavour, which lends itself well to the comedy.

"This isn't a period piece: we can find plenty of corruption in our own backyard today. This isn't some genteel satire, it's a raucous farce: it is closer to 'Kath & Kim' than Chekhov."

The lead role of Khlestakov is played by Lib Campbell:

"'The Government Inspector' is a searing satire that deals with the ugliest bits of human nature. But more importantly, it's very very funny."

"This show is deeply silly. It's full of huge, clown-like characters, but also manages to be a serious satire overflowing with greed, corruption and stupidity."

Campbell knows a bit about larger-than-life characters, having played Peppa Pig on Broadway during an international tour.

'The Government Inspector' runs from 30th Nov to Dec 9th at Flow Studios, Camperdown.

Tickets and more information are available at the link below.

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